iTunes Review

Fusing folk, orchestral pop and lilting R&B into a tidy package, Zero 7's Simple Things is a rare, welcome case of truth in advertising. Their stripped-down arrangements have the intimacy of a scratchy '60s soul LP, and Rhodes, flute and acoustic guitars add even more warmth. Sophie Barker and Sia Furler trade sweet close harmonies on "Destiny", and Mozez's falsetto enlivens the dreamy title track and "This World". Too sophisticated to be called easy listening, it's nevertheless deliciously easy on the ears.

Biography

Formed: 1997 in London, England

Genre: Electronic

Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s

The men behind the European downtempo outfit Zero 7 -- producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker -- launched their careers in the music industry as tea boys at a London recording studio. Shortly thereafter, however, both were in the thick of action, working alongside a string of well-known British musicians such as the Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant. They spent the best part of the '90s honing their production skills behind the scenes. Then, after taking on the name of a nightclub in Honduras, the duo...